


Papalymo's Finest Students

by rahelawriter



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Best Friends, Black mages, Bodyslamming, Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death, Elemental Magic, Fire Magic, Gen, Heart-to-Heart, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Identity Issues, Lalafell, Magic-Users, Mentor/Protégé, Miqo'te, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Female/Female Relationships, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Platonic Relationships, Pre-Stormblood, Secrets, Spoilers, Training, black magic, hyur, the first chapter is funny despite the tags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-16
Updated: 2017-06-16
Packaged: 2018-11-14 17:54:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11213208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rahelawriter/pseuds/rahelawriter
Summary: Both were proteges of Papalymo; Rahela in magic, Lyse in everything else. They were his finest students.





	1. Unruliness

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Borlaaq](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Borlaaq/gifts).



_“Rahela! Feet further apart!”_

_She couldn't take much more of Papalymo’s micromanaging. She hadn’t even cast anything yet, he had just been spending the last five minutes correcting her stance by strategically whacking her in the offending spots with his staff. Her tail twitched irritably as her eyes followed the little lalafell circling her, inspecting her. The training dummy stood before her, completely untouched, as if to taunt._

_Finally she grumbled, “Can we just get on with it already?”_

_Papalymo stopped in front of her, gave her one more appraising look up and down, then finally nodded. “You’ve still got a bit of a tenseness in your shoulders, but this is workable.”_

_She didn’t dare budge an ilm for fear of having to start the whole process over, but she still felt the internal exasperated sigh of relief escape her. Her ears picked up when his shrill voice assumed its usual authoritative tone._

_“Now obviously, numerous complications have kept you from your lessons; it couldn’t be helped. What with the long and arduous business with Titan, followed by the Imperial raid and the subsequent time spent in captivity… In short, we are a good few fortnights behind on your thaumaturgy lessons.”_

_Well, in truth, Rahela had long since moved beyond mere thaumaturgy… “Cocobuki’s given me his pass, and he says I don’t need anymore lessons.”_

_“Do you recall what I said to you on the day you passed through these doors?” He didn’t wait for her to answer. “Thancred praised both your talent for magic and of your abnormally strong attunement to the Echo.”_

_“He did?”_

_“Which is why I said that the Scions had extremely high expectations for you! So the word of your guildmasters alone will not suffice to pass those expectations. You are talented, but there’s no substitute for experience!”_

_“Right, right, I get it. I’ve gotten a lot more experience since our last lesson, though. I’ve fought Titan, a few dragons, a crazy fake-inquisitor, a whole lot of Garleans, Garuda, that’s got to count for something…”_

_“Yes, yes, that is all impressive, but you’ve been completely unguided throughout all of that.” Papalymo went on, oblivious to Rahela biting her lip. She wasn’t sure if she trusted him enough to take well the news of her meetings with Ququruka, Lalai, Kazagg Chah and the other beastmen of the Black. “But the point is that you can utilize stronger Fire spells now, so you can use the array you’ve got now in rotation. So open your assault with a Fire III!”_

_“Right.” Rahela mustered all of her strength, shooting forth from her staff an entire barrage of oversized fireballs, the inferno consuming the striking dummy. But this lasted only seconds before the heat became too much for her, and she collapsed flat on her back onto the floor, her face soaked in sweat. And through her haze, she heard his scolding tone._

_“No, no, I said_ **_one_ ** _Fire III! Using more than that will only drain your aether faster! Transpose and start again.”_

_“Nnngh… O-okay…” Rah panted, too dizzy to actually do what he asked, or even get off the ground._

_“Only use Fire III as your opening spell. The three Astral Fires that it grants will strengthen your fire-aspected aether, so your basic Fire spells will be far stronger than they would be by themselves.” Papalymo paced back and forth, appearing upside-down from Rah’s point of view. Suddenly he stopped, looking intently at something out of her blurry field of vision. "Why is there a scorch mark on the wall?"_

_"Hnn, must've missed with one of the spells."_

_"You should not be missing with any of your spells! This is just-- Wait a moment." Tromping back to her, Papalymo urgently held his hand up, sticking up two stubby lalafellin fingers. "How many fingers am I holding up?"_

_"Two, why?"_

_He backed up several paces, and then held up his hand again. "Now how many?"_

_Was this part of training? But Rahela couldn't make out the blurry shape of the hand this time. But if she squinted, she could kind of see… "Still two?"_

_"Three. I held up my thumb." The blond blur shook his head with a sigh. "I should have recognized it sooner. You, Rahela, are myopic!"_

_"I'm what?"_

_"You are nearsighted. It means you need spectacles."_

_"What? That's ridiculous!"_

_"Now, now, there's no shame in needing them." Something about the smug tone of the lalafell's voice irked Rahela. "Many practitioners of magic take up the study simply because physical combat would result in them losing their vital corrective--"_

_"Nooooo."_

_"Excuse me?"_

_"With all the fights I get into, it'd be all too easy for me to lose them. Then it would just be a waste."_

_"Not even a monocle?"_

_"Then I would just look like you!"_

_“Ugh, fine. We shall discuss this later. If you're going to just lie there, then I suppose you’re in need of a break; I’d have hoped your stamina would have improved after these arduous few fortnights, but I suppose not. Get something to drink and be ready to try again in a quarter-bell. We have much to cover before Operation Archon!” With that, the Lalafell waddled off, leaving Rahela alone._

_Once the three floating Astral Fires dissolved, a good deal of the oppressive heat had vanished. Despite growing up in the Sagolii Desert, Rahela had never been especially tolerant of such extreme temperatures. She still felt drained, closing her eyes and taking a few deep breaths, resting against the cool stone floor. It was oddly relaxing…_

_… Until Rahela heard approaching footsteps and the clanking of sabatons, followed by a fake yawn and a weight dropping to the floor._

_Rahela opened one eye, and there was Yda lying right next to her, arms folded behind her head and legs crossed._

_“… Yda, what are you doing?”_

_“Oh, you were awake?” Yda tilted her head to look over at her friend, the only expression visible on her masked face being an inquisitive pout. “I just passed Papalymo, and he was grumbling something about you being stubborn and not wanting to wear glasses and then passing out from running out of mana. So I lied down next to you so it’d look like we were just having a nice nap together.”_

_And Rahela couldn’t help but smile and let out a breathy laugh at that. “Aww, thanks, Yda. No, I was just resting and cooling off. But I should probably get up and drink an ether or three before Papalymo comes back…”_

_“Ooh, ethers? I know where to find those!” Yda did a kip-up and got to her feet, then offered Rahela a hand. “You wanna drink up the best ethers Tataru can buy?”_

_-_ _-_ _-_

_“They’re in Papalymo’s room?”_

_“Yeah, he keeps the really fancy stuff for himself.” Yda uncorks a vial of pink liquid and hands it to Rahela with a sly grin._

_The miqo'te mage takes it, eyeing it suspiciously and taking a sniff, but finally shrugging and gulping it down. Within seconds she feels herself reborn and refreshed, sighing in relief at the feeling of getting her mana back._

_“Tastes weird, but I’m feeling way better now. Thanks, Yda.”_

_Except when Rah looked back to her friend, the pugilist was holding an entire armload of ethers with an even bigger grin than before. “You want some more, then?”_

_“Should we?” Rahela involuntarily recalled an incident during her days training with the ‘Coco Brothers’ where she had to cover for her guildmasters’ devouring an entire crateful of ethers without paying for them. She doubted that fake tears would be enough to convince Papalymo._

_Yda, however, had no such worries, shoving them into Rah’s arms one-by-one. “Absolutely!”_

_Upon further thought, maybe having this many ethers would be a good idea. “I guess I should have a few of these ready during the Operation.” Rahela took a few more, and they disappeared into her inventory._

_“Don’t worry, Papalymo won’t mind.” Sensing Rahela’s uncertainty, she elaborated with a dismissive wave. “He might be really good at shouting, but the old coot’s all bark and no bite.”_

_“Am I, now?”_

_Both women jumped in surprise, whirling around in unison to see the blond lalafell, arms crossed, eyebrow cocked, and foot tapping. Rahela and Yda wilted, and hung their heads in silent shame as they held out the stolen ethers._

_“Rahela?”_

_“Y-yes, sir?”_

_In contrast to the outraged earful he would shout at Yda, Papalymo’s scolding of his adventurer pupil was a silent, withering stare, and when he did speak, it was with an even tone. “When I told you to drink an ether, I did not say you could help yourself to my own private supply. Now turn out your pockets and give them all back.”_

_“Yes, sir…” Reaching back into her inventory, she felt around for anything texturally resembling a vial and pulled out as much as she could. And in putting them back into their crates, she didn’t notice the tiny purple stone slip out of her pocket until she heard it clatter on the floor._

_Papalymo grabbed it up before she could, and after studying it for a moment, his eyes widened. “Rahela, what is--? Is this a Gem of Shatotto?!”_

_The remaining ethers dropped out of Rahela’s arms. “H-how do you know about that?”_

_“I’m from Sharlayan, do you really think the history of black magic isn’t a subject covered in the Studium?” Rah reached down to take her soul crystal back, but Papalymo held it out of her reach. “The real question is, how did you get such an artifact?”_

_Oh gods, he was interrogating her now, and that only made her more nervous. She could only stutter, “I, I, I, uh…! I-I can’t, I can’t say!”_

_The lalafell shook his head in exasperation with her inability to answer. He gestured to her pieces of Wizard’s garb obtained from the planar fissures; the gloves, tonban, and crackows. Godsdammit, Rahela should have known someone would recognize them…! “You’ve taken the Black, haven’t you… I suspected as much once I saw those garments of yours; minus the robe and petasos, you’re dressed in uniform of a Mhachi soldier.”_

_Rahela had no time to ask what that meant, because that was when Yda leapt into the air and came crashing down onto the lalafell. Papalymo was crushed beneath her, air forced out of his tiny body with a potent “_ **_PWUGH._ ** _”_

_“Run, Rah!”_

_Despite being blindsided by what just happened, Rahela snatched back up the Gem of Shatotto and sprinted out of the room, through the halls, up the stairs, out the door, past a very confused Tataru, and out towards the docks of Vesper Bay. There she finally came to a stop, heart still racing at all that just transpired. And she stayed there for a long while, watching the door of the Waking Sands, fearing that Papalymo might come out to roast her in either the figurative or literal sense. Or both._

_-_ _-_ _-_

_Thankfully, it wasn’t Papalymo that emerged from the door, but Yda._

_“Don’t worry about Papalymo,” the hyur said once she plopped down next to the black mage._

_“You told me not to worry about him earlier, but he still found us out. What happened?”_

_“Minfilia heard the commotion and she lectured both of us on roughhousing while we’re supposed to be getting ready for the Operation.” Yda groaned, slouching forward. “Except she did it in the nicest way possible, the kind that makes you feel even worse than when they yell at you!”_

_“You’re the best, Yda.” The two friends gave each other a one-armed hug._

_“But, if you don’t mind telling me, just where did you get that little purple stone thing?”_

_“It’s the Gem of Shatotto, like Papalymo said. It means I’m more than just a regular thaumaturge; I’m a Black Mage.”_

_“Is that… bad?”_

_“I’m not sure. I just didn’t want to tell Papalymo that I’ve been learning from others while he’s been away.”_

_“There are people who can teach you black magic?”_

_“Yeah, but… The thing is… They’re beastmen. Their names are Kazagg Chah, Dozol Meloc, and Da Za.”_

_“… Oh dear. An Amalj’aa, Ixal, and Kobold. And no Sylphs to make the lot seem friendlier?”_

_“I mean, they are friendly. They aren’t tempered, at least, haven’t said a word about their primals. But no, no Sylphs, but there are the two Lalafells who told me about black magic in the first place; Ququruka’s an escapee from the Marasaja Pit and Lalai is his willing puppet.”_

_“That’s… creepy. But you still took lessons from them?”_

_Rahela was silent for a long moment._

_“After you all disappeared, I felt… lost. I wanted to make things go back to the way they were before, and I didn’t care what I had to do for it.” She didn’t care about prophecies or the voidgate or that ‘Mhachi’ thing, or even the word of Nald’thal. “Black magic is really just a powered-up version of the magic I’ve already been using. I didn’t really care if it was ancient, or dangerous, or forbidden. I just wanted to be stronger.”_

_Yda stared at her for a long moment before finding her voice again. “Wow, Rah, I had no idea, but… I can actually understand that.”_

_“Thanks. I wasn’t sure how the others might take it. If the fraternizing with beast tribes wouldn’t bother them, then the black magic would. It’s a lot easier for me to tell you, for some reason. All of you mean the world to me, but in a way, I think I consider you my best friend in the Scions.”_

_“I’m your best friend? But what about Thancred?”_

_“Thancred? H-he’s…” Rah blushed, looking down while she fussed with her tail. “I, I mean, yes, he’s been there for me the longest, but, uh… W-well… I like him.”_

_“You mean, as more than a friend?” Yda asked, and when Rah nodded, she shook her head in pity. “… You poor soul.”_

_“But I don’t know how things are going to be between us when we get him back. I understand why he was doing it but… He was still lying to me about how he didn’t need help. Once we save him, we’re going to really need to have a talk so I can learn more about him.”_

_“What do you mean?”_

_“I don’t know how to explain it, but, well… I just recently realized that it’s easier for me to trust someone when I know how they grew up and what they’ve been through. I feel like I can understand them a lot better.” Befriending Eorzea’s denizens, learning their hardships; it was her walk through Cid’s memories that made her realize what role her Echo played in connecting on a deep level with other people. “I want to really know them before I can completely trust them.”_

_Looking back to Yda, Rahela didn’t expect her to have such an expression of… discomfort? Her lips, the only part of her face visible, were drawn into a thin line, and her hands were uncharacteristically tense as she touched the purple symbol tattooed onto her neck. “I-is that right…? So that means… if they’re hiding anything important from you, then you can’t trust them?”_

_In hindsight, that should have been Rahela’s first big clue. But at the time, she could never have imagined, so she just obliviously carried on. “I mean, I wouldn’t go that far. They don’t have to tell me absolutely everything. I just don’t want any deep dark secrets between close friends. Does that make sense?”_

_A familiar, nasally voice piped up behind them. “Rather hypocritical of you, considering the pertinent information you’ve been hiding until just now.”_

_“Eek!” Rah turned around, and there was the second time the lalafell had snuck up on her in the same day. “P-Papalymo! How much did you hear?!”_

_The thaumaturge simply gave a smug smile and shook his head. “All of it. I knew you would loosen your tongue around Yda, so I sent her ahead.”_

_“Wh-- Ydaaaaa! How could you!”_

_“Sorry, Rah…”_

_“Do not blame her; she was just as curious about the Gem.” Turning his nose up with an air of authority, Papalymo waddled around to in front of the two women. “But first of all, there is one point that I should make abundantly clear, Rahela: there is much and more you don’t know about us Archons, both as a collective and as individuals. It’s a reasonable enough conclusion to believe that Thancred’s actions might be explained by his background, but it will be his decision to divulge personal details to you.”_

_(Papalymo would be proven wrong on that specific point sometime later, but his point still stood.)_

_When Yda and Rahela had no response to this, he went on, “The same goes for all of us. Being as seasoned as we are, and with all our knowledge, it should come as no surprise that we might not want to divulge everything about us to everyone. Even Yda has her fair share of secrets.” He stopped, and then gave the hyur a meaningful look from out of the corner of his eye. “More than her fair share, in my opinion.”_

_A tense silence followed. Until Rahela remembered a quick succession of Yda’s sillier habits; her mischievous streak, her squatting, her optimism… And from that, her young mind came to the conclusion that a sincerely free spirit such as Yda couldn't be possibly be  bogged down or haunted by a dark and gruesome past. And the black mage couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. “It’s probably just me, but I can’t imagine Yda having any secrets deeper than stealing sweets from a jar. But don’t get me wrong, I really admire that. The way you wear your heart on your sleeve, how you’re honest with what you think and what you’re feeling. I know you’ve been through a lot lately, but you’ve kept smiling and staying, well, ‘enthused.’”_

_More silence followed. Yda rubbed the back of her neck with a lopsided smile, and Rahela couldn’t tell if the hyur was flattered or uncomfortable. She stammered out, “W-well… Anyroad, what were you were going to say about Rah’s magic, Papalymo?”_

_Papalymo cleared his throat right on cue. “Thank you, Yda. As I was going to say, Rahela, the arts you’ve chosen to study have a dark history. The civilization that originated Black Magic, the city of Mhach, were some of the most powerful mages this star has ever known. But they were also the chief aggressors in a terrible war that resulted in an Umbral Calamity. Not the most recent one, but the one preceding it, over 1,500 summers ago.” He stopped a moment to contemplate… “I know not how your… new mentors came to revive the lost, forbidden practice, but if it’s only those few practitioners who are sufficiently cautious, then…”_

_“It’s okay, Papalymo. I’m stronger than I was before. Weren’t you watching, when we were escaping the Castrum?”_

_“Hm…” The lalafell contemplated for a short while longer, before finally looking up and nodding. “Very well. You may continue your lessons in black magic, then. But that kind of raw power requires temperance, and thusly, our lessons shall continue as well!”_

_“Then should I tell Minfilia about Kazagg Chah and the others?”_

_“… Perhaps not at this very moment. She’s up to her neck in work preparing for the Operation, and she’ll not tolerate disruptions or distractions. First of all, we’ll need to procure a new training dummy after you destroyed the last one. The Flame outpost just north of here should have one to lend out. Come along then, Rahela, Yda!”_

_Papalymo marched off the dock, the two women getting up to follow him. Rahela looked over at Yda to find her still uncharacteristically quiet. “Yda? Are you alright?”_

_“Hm? Yes, I’m feeling fine.”_

_“You’re looking a little down. If it was something I said, I didn’t mean to upset you.”_

_“It’s alright, Rah, really! You don’t need to worry yourself for my sake.”_

_“I heard that line before, and it turned out that I should have acted on my worry.”_

_“…”_

_“… It’s alright, Yda. You’re still my friend, no matter what. Whatever your secret is, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”_

_Yda’s smile finally came back to her face, and turned into a grin. She put her hands on Rahela’s shoulder and turned her to face herself. “Okay, then. I’ve decided I want to tell you.”_

_“Wait, really?”_

_This really caught Papalymo off-guard, and he whirled around in astonishment, looking at Yda as if she’d just casually plucked off her own head._

_“Yes, really. So here it is. My deepest, darkest secret. The totally real, absolute truth is…” Yda drew their faces together until Rahela’s forehead met the cold metal of aether goggles. And she whispered as if in prayer… “I like you more than I like Papalymo.”_

_Papalymo’s expression immediately dropped into a look of dismay that could not be described in mere words. “What.”_

_Rahela, meanwhile, was beyond flabbergasted at what she interpreted as the highest praise she could receive from Yda. “WHAAAAAT?!”_

_“That’s it, my secret’s out!” Yda took the miqo’te’s plump, rosy cheeks into her hands and squished them, giggling uncontrollably. “You’re more fun, you give better hugs, your hair is a million times softer, and you don’t get mad when I eat all the lemon cakes!”_

_“For the love of_ **_Thaliak,_ ** _Yda…” The lalafell could only pinch the bridge of his nose in disgust, making his way back to Vesper Bay. “Ugh, training is cancelled tonight, I’m going to bed early. I fear being in your presence any longer will bring about a migrane.”_

_“That’s right, go sleep, you old coot! Rah’s going to be my partner from now on, and we’ll be the most powerful duo Eorzea’s ever seen!”_

_“N-no, that can’t be right! You and Papalymo, you’re best friends forever! The dynamic duo! I could never come between that!”_  

_“It’s okay, we don’t need him anymore, Rah. We can call ourselves Rahela and Yda! Fire and Fists! The Fluffy and the Furious!”_

_“Noooooo…!”_


	2. Remembrance

_ “It is time to leave!” _

_ “Quite right! Quickly now! Off you go! The further away the better!” _

_ “No! If you’re staying, then so am I!” _

_ “No, Yda! There is a path only you can walk, and it must not end here-- not like this!” _

_ “…” _

_ “Take her! Please, you have to take her!” _

_ “Wha-- No! Damn it, Thancred! Put me down! Thancred!” _

_ “… This is one battle you cannot fight. Away with you. Go!” _

_ “No way! I’m staying with you! Please, there has to be a way…!” _

_ “… Dear, stubborn Rahela. You’ve made commendable strides since the day you first entered my tutelage. There is only one spell left to me that you’ve yet to master, but it is one that I must take with me to the aether. You truly don’t need me anymore.” _

_ “Never! I’m not leaving without-- NGAHHHHHH…!” _

_ "I bid thee farewell again, my dear Yda… Now, let us see how good a student I truly was…" _

_-_ _-_ _-_

“Lyse.”

Rahela liked the name itself; it was a beautiful name. It rolled right off the tongue.

But she couldn’t match the name with the same girl she’d known all this time. Her best friend. It didn’t quite ring with the same joyful familiarity than when she used to call out ‘Yda!’

But Lyse probably wouldn’t be used to hearing her own name again after so long, so Rahela would have to get used to saying it.

“Lyse, come on. Let’s head back and get you to bed.”

“I'm going to stay here until the Alliance calls on us. That way, I'll be close by if anything happens. Besides, I’m used to sleeping outside. It’s relaxing.”

“Are you sure that’s it? Have you slept since the Wall?”

“…”

“Can we at least go find a bed over at the Hawthorne Hut?”

“… Alright.”

- - -

Rahela and Lyse found only one vacant bed in the small house; the rest were full of Wood Wailers and Twin Adders, all fast asleep. But that was no trouble. The two had shared a bed plenty of times before. Boots and sabatons were removed, hair was let down, spectacles were set aside, and the bed was claimed.

“When did you get glasses?”

“I got them from a friend of mine; he’s a ‘consulting inspector’ living in Ishgard. When he learned that I was nearsighted he had these commissioned just for me. Probably so we could match while we were making deductions together. And they’re designed to fit miqo’te, so I won’t lose them. Probably.”

“So you finally listened to Papalymo’s advice?”

“Yeah, he did keep pestering me to get a pair. It was practically the second or third thing he noticed about me when we found you again, and right away he started scolding me for it. It was like he’d never been gone…”

With the warm, early summer evening, there was little need for either to get under the blanket. Instead they cuddled up close, hugging each other just because they wanted to.

“Yd-- er, Lyse?”

“Yeah, Rah? What is it?”

“How many people knew the truth?”

“Minfilia and Tataru didn’t know; we met afterwards. Moenbryda did; she’d been best friends with both of us ever since we came to Sharlayan, so she became a sort of third sister. If Miounne and the Seedseers or anyone else knows, I didn’t tell them.”

“I’ve heard a lot about your exploits around Gridania and other places.” Rahela recalled an amazing story that was once recounted to her. “I heard from Minfilia that when she was still leading the Path of the Twelve, the Circle of Knowing defended two of her followers from Gaius van Baelsar. She said it was Thancred, Y’shtola, Papalymo, and Yda. Was that you…?”

“That was the real Yda, just days before they went to Gyr Abania. She never came back.”

The two lay there embraced on the same bed, for hours, probably. Talking about lemon cakes and mun-tuy sauce. About dancing and leg cramps and squats. About Little Ladies’ Day. About Moenbryda and Papalymo. About Yda. About what parts were Lyse and what parts weren’t. Rahela expects there to be tears from at least one of them, but they never come.

She doesn’t have any timepiece, but it’s surely in the wee hours of the morning when the conversation hits one final lull. Lyse rests her head on Rahela’s shoulder, and her breathing slows. The mage’s thumb gently strokes the blonde temple she had never seen before, and she kisses her forehead. Without her glasses it was difficult for Rahela to tell if Lyse looked peaceful or not. But she hugged her close, stroking her fingertips through the locks of free-flowing sunshine (just like their owner) she’d never touched before.

“Good night, Lyse.”

Both were proteges of Papalymo; Rahela in magic, Lyse in everything else. They were his finest students.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The art at the end was a commission drawn by my dear friend and personal Papalymo, https://prismahays.tumblr.com/. I love all of you over at Sage, and let's have a great Stormblood!


End file.
